What's the hype about Skype? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**pinknic38** · 07-25-2008, 04:20 AM

^heh pretty clever...

anyhoo everyone's like "you gotta download skype!" and then when I was traveling, a lot of hostels had skype headphones and whatnot, so I downloaded skype but now I'm like uhh... wtf?

is it like a telephone but online or what?

I'm pinknic38 on skype if you wanna add me ps haha.

**simply_angelic** · 07-25-2008, 05:16 AM

For those of you who carry cellphones abroad, www.talkster.com is also AMAZING! It's how I talk to my boyfriend who's long distance. It gives you a local number to call on your cell/landline and them a local number and then it connects you for free with like 1 ad and that's it. It's amazing.

SGRHewitt · 07-25-2008, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinknic38

^heh pretty clever...

anyhoo everyone's like "you gotta download skype!" and then when I was traveling, a lot of hostels had skype headphones and whatnot, so I downloaded skype but now I'm like uhh... wtf?

is it like a telephone but online or what?

I'm pinknic38 on skype if you wanna add me ps haha.

You can use Skype for cheap calling abroad. I call my buddy Mike in Australia for 2 cents a minute.

Also you can do Skype-to-Skype. So if you have your parents/friends hooked up on it. You can setup a meeting time or whatever, and call each other(basically a voice chat feature).

It's a real useful tool regardless, it's saved me loads calling Oz.

**MeTurk** · 07-25-2008, 07:32 AM

It's basically a voice instant messenger system. If you and a friend both have Skype you can instant message or talk to each other.

Outside of that it also allows you to call an ordinary phone number but you have to pay for it. You just buy some credit like you would for a pay as you go mobile phone.

**space virgin** · 07-25-2008, 08:17 AM

I use it to call a certain someone on a certain other continent halfway around the world for about .09c per minute. Even at 9c per minute it adds up, but it's better than the $1.50 per minute T-Mobile would charge me if I used my phone.

**Diorama** · 07-25-2008, 04:31 PM

I found that it was a godsend for me when I was travelling in asia. Phone cards are ultra expensive so skype was how I contacted my fam. My sister and I did the video chat thing a few times so I got to see my baby nephew.

**Elizabeth** · 07-25-2008, 05:06 PM

Skype rocks. It costs like 2 cents a minute to call the US, and my mom was able to call my Russian number for 7 cents a minute. Plus if you wanna meet up w some locals or other travellers but didn't bring your cell you can shoot them a call from skype.

**maracle** · 07-25-2008, 06:15 PM

I used it for the first time the other day, I called American's US number to change a flight from an internet cafe. I don't quite understand why but I wasn't charged anything (maybe 800 numbers are free?).

What took me FOREVER to figure out is that you open your account through the Skype client, there is no link whatsoever of creating an account on their website despite asking you to log in there constantly. I assumed I had to buy some credit, which you do on the website but you need to give it your account info (and the skype client was in Spanish so I didn't understand the open an account link).

Anyway, it seemed ok. It was a bit choppy on the hideously bad internet access in Tena Ecuador but I was still able to communicate with the agent and get it done.

**blinkchick2134** · 07-30-2008, 09:34 AM

I used it when I was in Costa Rica. Actually, most internet cafes had Skype set up instead of phone lines for calling overseas.

**BelfastFlyer** · 07-30-2008, 12:41 PM

it's a freakin life saver! I don't even have a landline anymore, just use skype!

The problem is how popular it has become - everytime I'm on it atleast 11 million people are on there too which can slow the service... but hey I'm not going to knock it!

snodogj · 08-10-2008, 04:16 AM

I's ubercheap for the calls you make, but also provides a great incoming solution. I keep numbers in the US, UK and Oz, all three of which come to the same place. I can forward them to my mobile, if I have one locally. I can answer on my computer, when convenient. If I let them go to voicemail, they all end up in the same mailbox, accessible from anywhere, with notification. All told, I spend less than US$100/year (+tolls) on the set up, which includes tons of free calls. Not bad when you consider that most people pay more than that on their monthly mobile contracts, these days...

SGRHewitt · 08-10-2008, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snodogj

I's ubercheap for the calls you make, but also provides a great incoming solution. I keep numbers in the US, UK and Oz, all three of which come to the same place. I can forward them to my mobile, if I have one locally. I can answer on my computer, when convenient. If I let them go to voicemail, they all end up in the same mailbox, accessible from anywhere, with notification. All told, I spend less than US$100/year (+tolls) on the set up, which includes tons of free calls. Not bad when you consider that most people pay more than that on their monthly mobile contracts, these days...

So if you had a Skype number. Would it be free for someone to call skype to skype, and then the forwarding to your mobile where incoming calls are usually free in anywhere but the U.S.? Does that make sense?

snodogj · 08-10-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGRHewitt

So if you had a Skype number. Would it be free for someone to call skype to skype, and then the forwarding to your mobile where incoming calls are usually free in anywhere but the U.S.? Does that make sense?

The first part involves the caller reaching your Skype account. Skype to Skype is always free. Any other call treats your Skype number as a landline, so having local numbers can save those calling you money.

The second part is the forwarding. Basically, you'll pay for a call from your Skype account to the number to which you are forwarding. This means that if you are in the US/Canada, you'll pay about 2¢/minute, but if you have a subscription covering local calls, pay nothing. In China, Hong Kong & Sigapore, calling/forwarding to a mobile is also similar to a landline, so, again, you're looking at about 2¢/min.

In most of the rest of the world, calling mobiles is much more expensive (and excluded from Skype's calling plans). In India and most of SEAsia, you're looking at somewhere around 8-12¢/min for calls/forwarding to mobiles, so you may find it worthwhile at times. In most of the rest of the world, you're looking at 20-30¢/min, so I don't bother, unless I'm expecting a call that would make it worth my while.

I guess that means that the short answer to your question is "yes, with the appropriate subscriptions."

Speaking of subscriptions, Skype seems to have changed plans very recently. It looks like they want to compete with phone companies...prices have gone down for folks who call within a country or region, but up some for those whose habits are global. At least I'm grandfathered in on the old SkypePro plan. w00t!